Green Room

Hating Breitbart: A Portrait of Unbridled Passion

This one word will resonate through history as Andrew Breitbart’s final message for all conservative fighting the ideological battle in new media, at the ballot box, and at tea party rallies all around the nation. Breitbart exposed how the mainstream media has twisted the narrative to suit their own ideological pursuits. As a pioneer of new-media journalism, he exposed biased reporting hiding behind a guise of “truth” and fought back against the “war” waged by liberal media giants against everyday Americans hungry for accuracy in media.

The film Hating Breitbart is Andrew Breitbart’s memoir, perfectly detailing the highs and lows of his daily battles. I was lucky enough to catch a showing of the film on Friday night in St. Louis with several people who knew Andrew very well, including Dana Loesch, Chris Loesch and Jim Hoft. In the audience, I could sense the pain of the happy warrior’s passing. However, I could also feel inspiration ripple through the audience. Andrew Breitbart loved what he did and that passion in infectious to both those who knew him and those in awe of his work.

The film’s director, Andrew Marcus, filmed Breitbart’s journey during the last two years of his life. In this “24 second news cycle” we experience today, Americans have developed a short-term memory when it comes to current events. Thus, I was surprised that I had forgotten about many of the battles Andrew Breitbart waged during his life. His experiences with ACORN, Shirley Sherrod, and Anthony Weiner were all covered in detail during the film. Through each event, Breitbart displayed his expertise at grasping on to a false media narrative and shoving it out into the light of day.

The film also depicted the growth of the grassroots movement through Andrew Breitbart as a medium. He was truly one of the first people to legitimize new media and prove that a journalism degree is not necessarily a prerequisite to be active in political journalism. Social media and online commentary were Breitbart’s weapons in the war of ideas. As people rallied behind Andrew Breitbart, conservatives began to take hold of social media, a forum dominated by the Obama campaign in 2008. We began to change the narrative. Andrew Breitbart’s personality, a self-described mixture of “jocularity” and “righteous indignation,” was suited for media war. His fearlessness and ability to adapt with humor and passion was an inspiration to many. In fact, he still is a symbol for many.

The media class is a wall we need to climb over in order for our voices to be heard. Once our voices are heard then democracy will happen. -Andrew Breitbart

Although Andrew Breitbart has passed on, his legacy remains. Hating Breitbart is only a snapshot of his accomplishments, but it serves as important fuel for conservatives as we barrel closer to November 6th and beyond. I encourage everyone to see the film if it is playing in your area. If it is not, demand it. That way, if you find yourself discouraged, frustrated or downright upset about the chaotic news cycle, step back and ask yourself “What would Andrew do?” The Andrew Breitbart portrayed in the film was passionate and unafraid. To stand resolute against an onslaught of media bias, angry Occupiers, and nasty twitter trolls, he needed to be a portrait of strong leadership. And he was. We must all take up Andrew Breitbart’s mantle and fight. He was a key hero in the ideological war of ideas, but we will all take up the fight in his stead.

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.